Japanese investigative reporter challenges Kisha system

Yu Terasawa seems philosophical as he discusses plans for his fourth lawsuit against the Japanese state, which he says he plans to initiate next week. Lawsuits are a part of daily life for Terasawa, who has been at the forefront of Japan’s investigative journalism community for almost 20 years as a freelance reporter specializing in police corruption. He has lost three cases of his own, been sued and has countersued in response, and has settled out of court. He is fighting for things many journalists take for granted: The right to attend a press conference, cover court proceedings, and above all, tell the truth.

Terasawa describes through a translator how he first sued
the Japanese state for recognizing Kisha Clubs, associations of print and broadcast
journalists with exclusive access to press conferences and high-level anonymous
sources, in 1999. He tried a second time soon afterward; on his third attempt,
he sued Japan
in conjunction with the Kisha Club specifically connected with reporting on the
country’s huge police corps. Each time, the courts told him that allowing
mainstream reporters to cover official proceedings was already a concession—a
mark of gratitude, offered without obligation. Why should they extend such a
kindness to freelancers?

Kisha Clubs dominate Japanese media, but they are restricted
to employees of mainstream media outlets, Terasawa explains. And they print
what they’re told, often unattributed, as a condition of continued access to
those in power. Those who choose to dig a little deeper are subject to a catalog
of harassment. “My relationship with the police is like warfare,” he says with
a grin.

An earnest, youthful-looking 43-year-old, Terasawa comes
alive when he discusses the challenges of his chosen profession, leaning
forward in his seat and gesturing emphatically over coffee at the Keio Plaza
Hotel in Shinjuku, a business and shopping district in western Tokyo.

“When I’ve been investigating
reports, I’ve been hit, I’ve been followed, I’ve been bugged, and I’ve been
dragged off in a police van without a warrant and detained until my lawyer
arrives,” he says. Though he believes access in general hasn’t improved, these
days when he turns up to cover a press conference, he’ll be waved through,
albeit reluctantly. “That’s the guy who sues,” he’ll hear.

Terasawa, who often breaks stories in weekly tabloid-like
magazines until more mainstream media pick them up, started his own publishing
company to facilitate long-term investigative reporting. The company recently
published a controversial
book on a convicted juvenile murderer.

Does his work have an impact? “The more harassment I get,
the more I write,” he says. And readers are sympathetic. The journalist—son of
two customs officials who, he admits with a wry smile, are not thrilled with
his combative work—stumbled into his role as an independent reporter after
being stopped for speeding on his scooter on the streets of Yokahama at age 15.
Except, he says, he hadn’t been over the limit. The injustice rankled, Terasawa
says, until seven years later he penned an exposé in a car magazine about the
sums of money police stations collected from traffic violations, and the number
of retired police officers who found employment with firms responsible for
maintaining traffic lights and other city infrastructure. Readers frustrated
with unfairly stringent law enforcement were thrilled, he says.A lifelong habit of asking unwelcome
questions developed, and he estimates around 100 police have been fired or
penalized as a result of his reporting.

If it works, why haven’t others followed his lead? According
to Terasawa, it’s simply too expensive. “The reason I’ve survived as a
freelancer isn’t pure talent; it’s because I negotiate how much I get paid,” he
says firmly. A wistful look passes over his face. “I wish I was rich. Then I
could provide for those who want to do the same.” He knows from experience,
however, that the next lawsuit is not likely to help his bottom line.

(Reporting from Toyko)

Madeline Earp is senior researcher for CPJ’s Asia Program. She has studied Mandarin in China and Taiwan, and graduated with a master’s in East Asian studies from Harvard. Follow her on Twitter @cpjasia and Facebook @ CPJ Asia Desk.